Pepper Fish Recipe – Asian Recipes and Cooking Guide

This is a peppery hot and sour Nyonya dish, eaten with rice and tiny servings of piquant sambals.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

2 aubergines(eggplants/brinjals), medium, sliced and soaked in water and drained before use
2 cm/1 inch square dried prawn (shrimp) paste, roasted
2 candlenuts
4 stalks lemon grass, bruised
5-cm (2-in) knob galangal, peeled and chopped
2 red chillies
2 tablespoons cooking oil
½ tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp, mixed with 1 liter (32 fl oz /4 cups) water, strained
600 g/1 lb 5-1⁄3 oz stingray, cut into 5-cm (2-in) pieces
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Method:

Slice aubergines across into 5-cm (2-in) thick rings. Halve them and slit the middle again. Cover and soak in water.

Blend dried prawn paste, candlenuts, 2-cm (1 -in) length lemon grass, galangal and chillies into a paste.

Heat oil in a pan and fry blended paste and remaining bruised lemon grass. Cook, stirring until paste is aromatic. Add crushed peppercorns and tamarind liquid. Bring to the boil.

Add aubergines and cook until soft. Lower stingray into gravy, then add salt and sugar to taste. When fish is cooked, remove from heat. Serve hot with rice and sambal, if desired.